This year may mark the 15th anniversary for
Viking River Cruises – and with the launch of six new ships in a single
season, the most significant year in the company's history – but the
world's leading river cruise line has plans to continue momentum in 2013
and beyond. Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) has announced its complete 2013 cruise program, offering guests a
broader selection of choices than any other river cruise line – from ships
and staterooms to destinations and pace of exploration. Viking's 2013
program introduces four inspiring new itineraries and two new land tour
extensions, as well as the launch of an additional six Viking Longships
and the complete refurbishment of its Russian fleet. " We take
pride in the way we design experiences for our guests' from
carefully-crafted itineraries that focus on the destination to excursion
choices that allow travelers to set their own pace each day," said
Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking River Cruises. "By providing guests
with the opportunity to tailor every aspect of their cruise, we ensure
they have the most personal and unforgettable vacation possible."
With diverse and scenic cruise itineraries in Europe,
Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, China and Southeast Asia, Viking guests
experience the heart of a destination along its waterways and during
culturally rich shore excursions. And with the world's largest fleet of
river cruise ships, Viking offers guests the most stateroom choices – with
the new Viking Longships featuring the largest suites sailing Europe's
waterways.
Flexible scheduling options allow Viking guests to
sightsee at their own pace. Comprehensive guided tours are included each
day for those who want to immerse themselves in the culture and
history, and Viking's onboard Program Directors can provide all the
information and maps guests need to explore port cities independently.
Additionally, Viking's complimentary onboard Concierge Service, which
launched in 2012, is an industry exclusive and allows guests an
unmatched level of vacation personalization. With a vast network of
contacts and an intimate understanding of each port city, Viking
Concierges can reserve a table at the best restaurant, recommend
specialty shops, order theater tickets and even arrange for a private
guide and car service.
The 2013 River Cruise Atlas, Viking's award-winning brochure, is available for order or PDF download at www.vikingrivercruises.com/brochure.
Also for the first time, the 148-page brochure has been converted to an
interactive ebrochure that is optimized for computers and tablet
devices and features more than 40 imbedded videos about the Viking River
Cruises experience. New additions for 2013 include:
New cruise itineraries for 2013
* European Sojourn (23 days; Amsterdam to Bucharest) – See the
canals of Amsterdam, the castles of the Rhine Valley, great Danube
cities like Vienna and Budapest and many colorful capitals of Eastern
Europe on an incredible cruise tour that traverses from the North Sea to
the Black Sea, via the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal.
* Grand Rivers of Europe (22 days; Basel to Budapest) – From the
stunning scenery of Switzerland to the historic castles and cathedrals
of Germany, this spectacular itinerary combines the one-week Rhine
Getaway cruise, from Basel to Amsterdam, with the two-week Grand
European Tour, from Amsterdam to Budapest.
* Portugals River of Gold (10 days) – During this journey along
the pristine and unhurried Douro River, guests will explore the unique
cultural, historical and aesthetic sights of Portugal and Spain.
* China Explorer (18 days) – Explore some of China's many faces,
including six astonishing UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Highlights
include a tour of Beijing's Forbidden City, a visit to the excavation
site of the famous Terra Cotta Warriors and a tour of a giant panda
sanctuary in Chengdu.
New land extensions for 2013
* Oxford & Highclere Castle (The Real Downton Abbey) –
Spend three days in the rolling hills of England's countryside as a pre-
or post- extension to Cities of Light or Paris & the Heart of
Normandy. Highlights include a tour of Highclere Castle, known to
television audiences worldwide as Downton Abbey, with a special
champagne welcome for Viking guests, and a visit to the historic town of
Oxford.
* Barcelona – Before traveling along the Rhône and Saône, guests
are invited to extend their trip by three nights in Barcelona.
Highlighted sights include the whimsical architectural masterpieces of
Antoni Gaudí and the Miró and Picasso museums.
New Viking Longships
In addition to the six state-of-the-art Viking Longships
launching in 2012, Viking will continue expansion in 2013 with the
launch of six additional Viking Longships – Viking Bragi, Viking Forseti
Viking Rinda, Viking Skadi, Viking Tor and Viking Var. Designed by
celebrated maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten – the team behind
the Disney Dream and the Yachts of Seabourn – the new ships integrate
patent-pending technology and innovations such as diesel-electric
hybrid engines, solar panels and onboard organic herb gardens.
Russia refurbishments
Next year will also mark the completion of bow-to-stern
refurbishments of Viking's owned and operated Russian fleet, which set a
new standard as the best river cruise ships in Russia and are the only
entirely Western-managed Russian fleet. In addition to redefining the
interior space to create significantly larger staterooms, all four of
Viking's Russian ships will feature full, private verandas added to all
staterooms on the Upper and Middle decks, which house four Suites, two
Junior Suites and 60 Veranda Staterooms. The revamped Russian fleet will
sail the Waterways of the Czars 13-day itinerary, traveling from Moscow
to St. Petersburg, or the reverse.
Booking details
From now until July 31, 2012, Viking is offering a 2013 Early Booking Discount with up to 2-for-1 pricing on cruise departures and international air. Viking's
all-inclusive pricing covers accommodations, all onboard meals, daily
guided shore excursions, port charges, complimentary wine, beer and soft
drinks with onboard dinner and lunch service, and more.